WHY TORTOISE HAS CRACKED SHELLS

Back in the days, Tortoise could be readily seen anywhere you turn and the animal were best
friends with the birds of the earth. He would follow them to open fields where they would donate
feathers to him and teach him how to suspend them in air and be able to fly with it. Every bird –
hawk, eagle, owl, parrot, and so on all had something for tortoise whenever he felt like he
wanted to fly. Soon the tortoise was able to fly long distances without the aid of his friends. He
would entertain them with his dance and by helping them break hard nuts like palm kernel nuts
into pieces.

Those were the times when the tortoise still had a smooth shell or skin without any blemish. It
was as smooth as the head of Stone cold Austin. Tortoise was proud of his very strong shell
which was like a nut impossible to crack ordinarily. He would even bring his whole body into the
shell and stay still whenever some of his friends needed a high surface to climb on. But one thing
about him was that he was very greedy and inconsiderate, as much as he hid it.

One day the birds were invited to a feast in the heavens. It was to celebrate their uniqueness and
hear from them on their exploits on air and in the land. How most of them fly across continents
and over water bodies with great balance and at great speed. They were allowed to bring along
any other animal they wished to come with. So the birds unanimously chose to bring the tortoise.
Each of the birds donated a feather each, and helped fix them with natural gum and also through
tiny spaces in the tortoise body and shell. Satisfied, they all flew together with the tortoise to the
terrestrial venue of the feast.

At the place, the chief host asked all the guests to get seated.
“Food and drinks galore are here for you to eat and drink” he said.
Meanwhile tortoise called all the birds together for a brief deliberation.
“You know when the food and drink are brought out for us to enjoy, each of us would be called
by their names,” he said, “yes” they all replied, “for me I want to answer another name. I hope it
is okay by you?” he asked. The birds answered in the affirmative. So the tortoise wrote down all
their names and for himself, he wrote “All of you.” After writing down the names on a sheet of
paper, he put it into his pocket.

After so much intellectual discussion and heartfelt session on flying experiences, the host
announced that it was time for the guests to have their food and drink. Having cooked up a
mischievous plan, tortoise asked the host who the food was for.
“It is for all of you.” The host replied before moving away.
Tortoise turned to his friends and told them to remember what they agreed upon. Since the food
was for “all of you” and even though it meant everyone present, someone chose it as a name, and
that person is Tortoise. The birds were shocked but powerless, they had to honour the agreement
they made with the tortoise. “But we are your friends and we can eat together with you. The food
and drinks are plenty and it is meant for all of us.” The parrot said.
“Let me correct you, it is for all of you. As our kind and benevolent host said.” Tortoise replied.
“But they both mean the same thing. In the host’s context it means us just as I said.” Parrot
insisted, clarifying his earlier point. “Well my name today is my name today. I will finish it all.”
Tortoise said. “I thought we are friends. We have been so good to you. You can share with us.”
Hawk told the tortoise hoping he will consider. “No I want it all.” Tortoise replied without
thinking twice.

It was a very stark display of cold betrayal. But for the love the birds had for the tortoise and the
benevolence that sprung from their hearts, the tortoise wouldn’t have been at that venue. Both oh
see what giving the wrong person an opportunity just caused. The birds felt so sad, disappointed
and heartbroken. And the tortoise showed no empathy, no remorse, no respect or even gratitude
to the birds. Rather he hummed a sound as he ate the food and drank fruit juices.

The birds looked on as the tortoise gradually ate and drank until he finished the whole food and
drinks. After eating, he could not even stand erect. He ate above his stomach limit. Lying with
his back on the ground, he found it difficult to move his body and he was there stuck when each
of the birds took back their feathers. They all left the tortoise and flew away from the venue one
after the other.

The tortoise slept at the terrestrial venue, and the following morning still heavy and tired, he saw
the eagle flying close to the place. So he called the eagle.
“My friend please help me tell my wife to arrange beds, clothes, soft materials, soft leather and
any soft or non-injurious object horizontally, vertically and in heaps.” Tortoise told the bird
hoping the eagle will agree.
“What is it for?” Eagle asked.
“I want to jump down from here to my compound on earth and hope not to break into pieces or
get badly injured or even die.” Tortoise replied.

Eagle agreed to send the message across but having heard what the tortoise did to his good
friends, the eagle decided that the tortoise deserved no help. So he went to the tortoise’s wife and
told her something else. “Your husband said I should tell you to bring every injurious object you
can think of – sharp metals, nails, broken bottle, stones, knives, and so on. He needs you to
scatter them in your compound and bring them up to the height of at least 5 inches.” The eagle
said. “Those are dangerous objects. Why will my husband want me to do such thing?” Tortoise’s
wife asked.
“It is because your husband wants to prove to all the other animals that it has the strongest body
and with its shell, it can absorb heavy and sharp blows.” Eagle replied.
“Okay I will do just that.” The tortoise wife said.

Subsequently she followed the message given by the eagle to the later. The whole compound was
filled with dangerous, injurious objects. The eagle went back and informed the tortoise that his
wife has prepared the safe pad for him to land on. The tortoise thanked the eagle and then threw
himself down. It was midway to the earth that he saw the dangerous, sharp objects littered all
over his compound and to a considerable height. He shouted in terror as he landed thick and fast
on them.

His shell was completely crushed but he did not die as the force of the fall and the sharpness of
the items was absorbed by the shell. He was lucky that he enveloped his whole body into the
shell before making an impact with the dangerous objects. And he became unconscious. Tortoise
was rushed to a healer who resuscitated him. The healer also mended his broken shell pieces and
stitched them together on the tortoise’s skin. He gave the tortoise ointments and herbs to use on
his shell for quick recovery.

That was how the tortoise came to have cracked shells. And since then, it has become a signature
part of the tortoise’s body makeup.

THE END